The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus of the type which uses an endless recording medium.
In an electrostatic or electrophotographic image recording apparatus of the type described, the recording medium in the form of an endless belt is usually passed around a drive roller and a tension roller which are located at predetermined spaced positions. The tension in the endless belt is controlled by the tension roller so that the belt can be manually moved into or out of its operative position of the rollers.
Meanwhile, arranged around the recording medium are various instruments adapted to sequentially practice various recording steps such as charging, recording (or exposing), developing, transferring and cleaning timed to the movement of the recording medium, as well as various mechanisms for feeding and conveying sheets one by one at a predetermining timing. These units and mechanisms, therefore, obstruct the manual work for attaching or detaching the recording medium to or from the rollers. Also, it is quite difficult to insure the positional accuracy of the recording medium relative to the numerous units arranged therearound when it is attached to the drums after removal.
Additionally, upon a sheet jam, the jamming sheet has to be taken out with the various sections held stationary in their predetermined positions. Difficulty has thus been experienced in settling sheet jams.